Rafael Nadal scripted an epic comeback from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev and win the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday. The result helped the 35-year-old become the first person to win 21 men’s singles Grand Slam titles.
The Spanish great looked dead and buried as the Russian world No 2 carved out a two-set lead but Nadal surged home for one of his mightiest comeback wins 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in five hours and 24 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena.
Nadal came out on top in the physical war of attrition to move ahead of “Big Three” rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time list of men’s major winners.
Djokovic missed his chance to improve on his nine Australian Open wins when he was deported over vaccination issues on the eve of the tournament, while Federer is injured.
It was one of the 35-year-old Spanish warrior’s greatest title victories in his 29th Grand Slam final as he won his second Australian Open, 13 years after his first in 2009.
Nadal also became only the fourth man to win each of the four Grand Slams twice and the third-oldest man in the Open Era (since 1970) to win a Grand Slam title, behind Ken Rosewall and Federer.
It was the fourth time in his storied career that Nadal had clawed back to win from two sets down, but the first time in a Slam final.
It was the second time Nadal had denied Medvedev in a Grand Slam final, winning a five-set epic at the 2019 US Open. Nadal holds a 4-1 lead over Medvedev in their five matches to date.
Nadal became the first player to win the Australian Open title from two sets down in the championship since 1965 when Roy Emerson defeated Fred Stolle 7-9 2-6 6-4 7-5 6-1.
It crowned an extraordinary effort from Nadal at the year’s opening major, having to modify his game to compensate for a degenerative bone disease in his left foot that ended his 2021 season last August. He then caught Covid in December which, he said, made him “very sick”.
Here’s a look at the stats and records after Nadal’s historic triumph:
Most men's singles Grand Slam titles
| Player | Titles |
|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 21 |
| Roger Federer | 20 |
| Novak Djokovic | 20 |
| Pete Sampras | 14 |
| Roy Emerson | 12 |
| Bjorn Borg | 11 |
| Rod Laver | 11 |
| Bill Tilden | 10 |
| Andre Agassi | 8 |
| Jimmy Connors | 8 |
| Ivan Lendl | 8 |
| Fred Perry | 8 |
| Ken Rosewall | 8 |
Most tour titles in Open Era (since April 1968)
| Player | Titles |
|---|---|
| Jimmy Connors | 109 |
| Roger Federer | 103 |
| Ivan Lendl | 94 |
| Rafael Nadal | 90 |
| Novak Djokovic | 86 |
| John McEnroe | 77 |
| Rod Laver | 72 |
| Bjorn Borg | 66 |
| Ilie Nastase | 64 |
| Pete Sampras | 64 |
Nadal's Grand Slam titles
| Tournament | Years |
|---|---|
| Australian Open | 2009, 2022 |
| French Open | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| Wimbledon | 2008, 2010 |
| US Open | 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019 |
Men to win all four Grand Slams multiple times
| | Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafael Nadal | 2 | 13 | 2 | 4 |
| Novak Djokovic | 9 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Roy Emerson | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Rod Laver | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Wins from two sets down by Nadal
| Tournament | Year | Opponent | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 2022 | Daniil Medvedev | Final | 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 |
| Wimbledon | 2007 | Mikhail Youzhny | Fourth | 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 |
| Wimbledon | 2006 | Robert Kendrick | Second | 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4 |
| Madrid Open | 2005 | Ivan Ljubicic | Final | 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) |
Nadal's record in five sets Grand Slam finals
| Tournament | Year | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 2022 | Daniil Medvedev | Won |
| US Open | 2019 | Daniil Medvedev | Won |
| Australian Open | 2017 | Roger Federer | Lost |
| Australian Open | 2012 | Novak Djokovic | Lost |
| Australian Open | 2009 | Roger Federer | Won |
| Wimbledon | 2008 | Roger Federer | Won |
| Wimbledon | 2007 | Roger Federer | Lost |
Last win from two sets down in each Major final
| Tournament | Year | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 2022 | Rafael Nadal | Daniil Medvedev |
| French Open | 2021 | Novak Djokovic | Stefanos Tsitsipas |
| Wimbledon | 1927 | Henri Cochet | Jean Borotra |
| US Open | 2020 | Dominic Thiem | Alexander Zverev |
Lead Changes in Grand Slam Men's Singles Titles
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) January 30, 2022
2022 #AusOpen: @RafaelNadal passes @RogerFederer and @DjokerNole with 21st Slam title
2009 #Wimbledon: Federer passes Pete Sampras with 15th of 20 Slam titles
2000 @Wimbledon: Sampras passes Roy Emerson with 13th of 14 Slam titles
to win a slam final from 2 sets down
— enrico maria riva (@enricomariariva) January 30, 2022
in 143 years (1877-2019) 22 times
in 3 years (2020-2022) 3 times pic.twitter.com/zDLNPpCbK1
Inputs from AFP and ATP Media Info
Also read:
Heart of the matter: For Rafa and his fans, this triumph is like seeing the light again
Watch: You don’t know how much I fought to be here, says history-maker Nadal
‘It has been a privilege to watch you’: Reactions to Nadal’s historic Aus Open win